


Take My Hand

by GreyHaven



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 08:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13143138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyHaven/pseuds/GreyHaven
Summary: Set pre-series, before the Troubles, Duke and Nathan getting together.Loosely based onthis prompt





	Take My Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jadzibelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadzibelle/gifts).



> For [@Jadzibelle](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadzibelle/works) who wanted this as a Nuke AU.

"Let's take this outside," Duke's voice was harsh, his movements sudden and this had come out of _nowhere_. Nathan blinked in surprise. They'd been having a _nice chat_ \- albeit a mild disagreement about the merits of pancakes over waffles - and then Duke had said that and stood up and knocked over his bar stool and Nathan really didn't know quite what to make of it all.

So he obligingly followed Duke outside, trusting that they weren't actually going to come to blows over the great pancakes v waffles debate.

The Rope Loft opened onto the beach and Duke was already halfway down the sand, silhouetted against the bright moonlight. Nathan hurried down to meet him.

"Duke? What the hell?"

"Stars are pretty tonight," Duke was staring up at the sky, all casual, like everything about this was _normal_.

Nathan glanced up at the stars. They _were_ pretty and if he'd been a more poetic sort, he might have described them as sequins on velvet, but his mind was a jumbled mess because nothing about this situation was _normal_. In fact, it was about as far away from normal as Nathan could imagine.

At least, it was until Duke extended his hand, offering it to Nathan to hold, and there was a slight waver in his voice when he spoke, as though he was _scared,_ a long way from the super-confident, devil-may-care Duke that Nathan was used to and that was _even less_ normal.

"Take my hand?"

There was enough of an inflection to make it a question and Nathan's breath caught. Did Duke _know_? Did he have some sort of idea of the feelings Nathan had been harbouring for months now? Was this his idea of a practical joke? Get Nathan to admit everything and then laugh in his face?

"Funny, Duke," he replied, hating the uncertainty in his voice, the vague hint of _hope_ that Duke would say he wasn't joking.

Duke dropped his hand and turned away. "I wasn't being funny."

_God_ , this would be easier if Nathan could actually see Duke's face and read what was written there. Whether he was still carrying on with the joke or whether he _meant it_ (and _fuck_ that would be too much to hope for). But maybe that's exactly why Duke had wanted to come out here, into the dark, where Nathan _couldn't_ read his expression. Where, if Nathan rejected him out of hand, he could pretend it was a joke and laugh it off.

Oh.

Duke _was_ scared. Duke meant it.

Oh fuck.

Nathan moved alongside him, standing shoulder to shoulder as they both looked out at the ocean, moonlight glinting off the waves. He extended his fingers, just enough to lightly brush the back of Duke's hand and, over the soft lapping of the waves on the sand, he heard Duke _stop breathing_.

"Nate?" He sounded hesitant, uncertain, but he turned his hand to lace his fingers with Nathan's.

Nathan gripped his hand tightly - probably too tightly, but everything he wanted was _literally_ within his grasp and he had no intention of letting it go. "Duke," he replied softly, his thumb stroking over Duke's knuckles - surprisingly soft and he had to stifle a laugh as he wondered if Duke used hand cream. Of course Duke used hand cream. It probably smelled of roses. He (just) resisted the urge to bring Duke's hand to his lips so he could find out.

"I wasn't wrong, then?" Duke's voice was just as soft as Nathan's was.

"About?" Nathan knew full well what about but he needed to buy himself some time because he still wasn't sure he was ready to have this conversation and how ridiculous was that? He was standing on a moonlit beach, holding Duke's hand and he _still_ couldn't say anything.

"You like me."

It wasn't a question this time, a simple statement of fact, and he could _hear_ Duke's smile in the darkness.

"Yeah," he agreed, kicking himself for not being able to say more. To tell Duke just _how much_ he liked him. How looking at him took his breath away. How the casual touches between them made his skin tingle. How every hug felt like _coming home_.

He wished he had those words but maybe he didn't need them. 'Yeah' seemed to be enough of a response for Duke who quickly stepped into Nathan's space, pressed against him and brought his free hand to Nathan's jaw.

"Good," he murmured, a split second before his lips met Nathan's and Nathan was _lost_. Lost in the softness of Duke's kiss, surprisingly gentle. Lost in the scent of him, so close and smelling of spices and the sea and cologne. Lost in the taste of him, beer and whisky and the hint of salt on his lips.

Nathan wrapped his free arm around Duke's waist, pulling him closer, not wanting even an inch between them. Clearly Duke didn't either because he dropped his lips away - Nathan couldn't quite stop the soft sound of disappointment from escaping him, a soft sound that turned to a sigh of contentment as Duke threw his arms around him and buried his face in Nathan's neck.

And once again, the hug was like _coming home_ and Nathan relaxed into the contact, closed his arms around Duke and held on tightly, almost clinging in his desperation to _not lose this_.

Not that there was any chance of that because Duke was clinging just as tightly and mumbling something unintelligible into Nathan's neck.

"Didn't catch a word of that," Nathan said, a wry smile on his face.

Duke huffed slightly as he moved his head to rest his chin on Nathan's shoulder instead. "I said, I'm glad I wasn't wrong. Been wanting to do this for ages but I figured I'd scare you off if I pushed it too soon. Sorry for the subterfuge in getting you out here. Kinda thought the middle of a crowded bar wasn't _exactly_ the right moment."

Nathan laughed softly. "Yeah, you were right about the bar. Wanted to do this for ages too. Couldn't bring myself to make the first move. Thought you still hated me or something."

"I never hated you," Duke's voice was low, full of something which might have been regret. "Shouldn't have ever let you think that. It was just easier than telling you I like you."

"You like me?" Nathan's deadpan tone was accompanied by a raised eyebrow that Duke probably couldn't see in the dark. He gave Duke a tighter squeeze to make sure he knew he was joking.

"Obviously," Duke was just as deadpan.

"Prove it," Nathan couldn't hide the laugh in his voice this time. He was _too fucking happy_ to pretend otherwise.

"Fine," Duke sighed melodramatically, a token protest because then he was kissing Nathan again - slow and thorough and passionate - and he was pushing Nathan down into the sand, his body covering Nathan's.

And there - right there - was exactly where Nathan wanted to be. He pulled Duke closer, held him tighter, kissed him deeper, and clung onto everything he'd ever wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> The first part of this was written while I was half asleep, the second part while I was half drunk, and it's unbeta'd so please feel free to point out any typos!


End file.
